(1988)1988August29 [SAWIDES,J.] INTHEMATTEROFARTICLE146OFTHECONSTITUTION DEMETRISPETRAKIS, Applicant, v. THEREPUBLICOFCYPRUS,THROUGHTHEEDUCATIONALSERVICECOMMISSION, Respondent. (CaseNo. 764185). EducationalOfficers-Promotions—Retrospectivepromotionfollowingannulmentofpromotions—Followedbyafurtherretrospectivepromotionfollowingannulmentofotherolderpromotions—Emolumentsofferedtogether with the offerfor thesecond retrospectivepromotion less than those receivedactuallybyapplicantatthetimeofsuchoffer—Whetherthisislegal- 5 lypossible—Questiondeterminedinthenegative. EducationalOfficers—Promotions—Retrospectivepromotiontopostalready heldbyapplicant—The decisionisofatwofoldnature, the one affirming theofficerinhispositionandtheothergiving retrospectiveeffect toit— Successful challenge ofsuchdecision—Effect-—Kapsos v.TheRepublic 10
(1988)3CLJt. 1063 adopted. PublicOfficers—Promotions—Meaningof "promotion"—ThePublicService Law, 1967(Law33/67), section28. WordsandPhrases—"Promotion" insection 28ofthe Public ServiceLaw, 1967(Law33167). Theprinciplesemanatingfromthisdecisionaresufficientlysummarised intheheadnote. Subjudicedecision annulled. Noorderastocosts. 1660 15 3 C.L.R. Petrakis v. Republic ι Casesreferredto: t . ... Kapsosv. TheRepublic
(1988)3 C.LR.
- Recourse. 5 j . ι '. Recoursefor adeclarationthattheactand/ordecision of therespondentconcerning applicant's salary and/ordecrease of his sa,lary is null andvoid andof hoeffect whatsoever. Μ.Christofides,for theapplicant. D.Papadopoulou (Mrs.),for the respondent. , f i ,r 10 15 · , · Cur. adv.vult. SAVVIDES J. read the following judgment. }tfhat is being challenged by thepresent recourse is thedecision of therespon dentconcerning thesalary scale towhich theapplicant was emplaced after his promotion to the post of Assistant Headmaster with retrospective effect as from 1st January, 1981, which was communicatedtotheapplicant by letterdated 22ndJune,
- • • / - Thefacts of thecase are briefly as follows: 20 25 The applicant, a school teacher in the elementary education, filed in 1981 recourse No. 124/81 challenging certainpromotions to the post of Assistant Headmasters and in 1982 recourse No. 395/82challenging othersimilar promotions. , Applicant was successful in recourse No. 395/82 in which judgment was delivered on27th November, 1984 andas a result he was promoted to thepost of Assistant Headmasterretrospec tively as from 1st September, 1982, and his salary according to respondent's letterdated 29thDecember, 1984 communicatingto himhis promotionwas adjusted as follows:, • ... "Your salary will be £3,580 per annum as from 21/12/84 1661 SavvidesJ. Petrakisv.Republic
(1988)and£3,637asfrom1/6/1985onsalaryscaleA9£2821x1363909extended bytwoincrements.Yourincrementaldatewill bethe 1stofJune...". Following hispromotion theapplicant waspaidhissalaryon thebasisoftheabovescale. 5 On 10th May, 1985,thejudgment of the Court in recourse No. 124/81wasdeliveredinwhichapplicantsucceededinhaving thepromotionschallenged byhimin 1981annulled.Asaresult therespondent promoted the applicant tothepost of Assistant Headmaster,apostwhichhewasalreadyholdingbyvirtueofhis io previousretrospectivepromotion since 1stSeptember, 1982,retrospectively since 1stJanuary, 1981.Suchpromotion wascommunicated to him by letter dated 22nd June, 1985,embodying alsohisemplacementonthesalaryscalewhichaccordingtoparagraph2ofsuchletterwasasfollows: 15 "Yoursalary willbe£3,365perannumasfrom21/12/84, £3,501 as from 1.3.85and £3,637 as from 1.3.86on salary scaleA9£2,821x136 - 3,909extended by two increments. Yourincrementaldatewillbethe 1stofMarch..." Theapplicant by letterdated26thAugust, 1985,acceptedthe 20 offer subjecttocertainreservationsasfollows: "Irefertoyourletterandwrittenoffer forpromotiondated 22.6.1985and wish toinform youthat Iaccept youroffer so thatmypromotion tothepostofAssistantHeadmasterwillbe effective asfrom1stJanuary, 1981,butIreserveallmylegal 25 rights withrespecttomysalaryfixed byyouroffer andIshall pursuethelegal protection ofmyrightsbecauseI verilybelievethatitisnotright,logicallyandlegally,thatthesalaryof aneducationalistisreducedwithhispromotion." In furtherance of his above letter to which the applicant re- 30 ceived noreply,hefiled on4th September, 1985thepresentre-, courseprayingfor adeclarationthattheactandOrdecisionofthe 1662 3C.L.R. Petrakis v.Republic SavyidesJ. respondentdated22ndJune, 1985,in sofar ashissalaryisconcernedand/orthedecreaseofhissalary,bedeclarednullandvoid andofnolegaleffect whatsoever. Counselfor applicant in arguinghiscasecontended thatthe retrospective promotion of the applicant as from 1st January, 1981tothepostofAssistantHeadmasterwhichtheapplicantalready held byvirtue,of apromotion to suchpost witheffect as from1stSeptember, 1982couldnotinanywayaffect hisvested righttothe salarythe wasbeingpaid andresult toadecreaseof 10 same. 5 Counselfor therespondentcontended thatthesalary scaleon whichtheapplicantwasemplacedwastheproperoneandwasin accordancewiththeregulationsgoverningpromotions.Thecalculation of his salary at hispromotion to thepost of Assistant 15 Headmasterasfrom 1stJanuary, 1981,was,ascounselsubmitted,calculatedaccordingtotheregulationsonthebasisofthesalary he was receiving prior to 1st January, 1981.The applicant whowason salary scaleA7wasgiventhesalaryhewasreceiving,£2,730plus£70partof hisincrementon such scaletill 1st 20 January, 1981,plustheincrementof scaleA9makingatotalof £2,936 to which the increments to which hewasentitled were addedthusmakingatotalof£3,365upto 1st March, 1985, and £3,501upto 1stMarch, 1986and£3,637asfromthe 1stMarch, 1986whichisthesalaryofferedtto theapplicant 25 Itiscommon groundinthepresentcasethatuponpromotion withretrospectiveeffect oftheapplicanttothepostofAssistant Headmasterasfrom1stJanuary, 1981,thesalary hewasreceivingatthematerialtimewhensuchpromotionwascommunicated tohimwashigherthanwhatwasoffered-to himasaresultofhis 30 promotion. , , · ItisapparentfromtheabovethatthepromotionoftheapplicantinsteadofbringinganyfinancialTbenefits to.himoperatedto hisfinancial detriment inthathisemolumentswerereducedinsteadofbeingincreased. _* 1663 Savvides J. Petrakis v. Republic
(1988)The term promotion under s. 28 of thePublic Service Law 1967 (Law 33/67) is givenasfollows: " 'προαγωγή' σημαίνει αλλαγήνεις την μόνιμον κατάστασινυπαλλήλουήτιςσυνεπάγεταιαύξησινειςτηναμοιβήντου υπαλλήλου ή συνεπάγεταιτην ένταξιν αυτούεις 5 ανώτερον βαθμόντης δημοσίαςυπηρεσίαςήεπί μισθοδο τικήςκλίμακοςεχούσηςυψηλότερον ανώτατονόριον,είτε ηαμοιβήτουυπαλλήλουαυξάνεταιαμέσωςδιάτηςτοιαύ της αλλαγής είτε μη, ο δε όρος 'προάγειν' ερμηνεύεται αναλόγως." Andthetranslation inEnglish: " 'promotion'means any change in anofficer's substantive status which carries with it an increase in the officer's.remu nerationorwhich carries withittheemplacementof the officer in ahigher division of thepublic service,or on salary scale 15 with ahigher maximum, whether theofficer's remunerationat thetimeis immediately increased by such achange ornot, and theexpression 'topromote'shall be construed accordingly;" Itisclearfromtheabovesection thatthough apromotionmay have theresult of theincrease oftheemolumentsof acivilservant 20 oranevolution inahigherpostwith orwithout anactual increase in his salary nothing is containedin suchprovision providing for areductionof his salary uponpromotion. Promotion of acivil servant to ahigher post entails the pay menttohimof thesalary of thepost and his incrementaldateas 25 containedinthewritten offer madetohimonhis appointment(s. 44
(5)of Law 33/67). Upon acceptance of such promotion the civil servant is entitled tothesalaryoffered tohim,whichcannot be subsequently reduced individually in his case, unless upon conviction for adisciplinary punishmentorinterruptionof his an- 30 nualincrementorpostponementof incrementorreductionfroma higher toalowerpointof thesalaryscaleorreduction toalower scaleinaccordancewith s.79(l)(d)(e)(g)and(h)of Law 33/67. 1664 10 3 C.L.R. ., Pelrakis v. Republic Savvides J. In thecase underconsideration the applicant in June,1985, when hewasoffered promotion tothepost of Assistant Headmaster wasalready holding suchpost on apermanent basis,he wasonscaleA9andwasbeingpaidasalaryof£3,580whichas 5 from 1stJune, 1985wouldriseto£3,637 by theaddition ofhis annualincrement. Thedecisionof therespondent topromotehimtothepostof Assistant Headmaster as from 1st January, 1981can only be treatedinthepresentcase,infact,notasapromotion tothepost 10 of AssistantHeadmasterbutasapromotion givingretrospective effect totheposthealready held,asfrom 1stJanuary, 1981,insteadof 1stSeptember, 1982.Ifweacceptascorrectthesubmissionofcounselforrespondentthatthepromotionoftheapplicant as Assistant Headmaster would for all intents and purposes be 15 considered aseffective asfrom1stJanuary, 1981,andas affectingallbenefits acquiredbytheapplicant asaresultofhispreviouspromotionasfrom1stSeptember, 1982,thenassumingthat the decision of the respondent of 19th June, 1985, was challengedandthedecisionannulledthensuchannulmentwouldhave 20 the result of sweeping away his promotion of 1st September, 1982, which had never been challenged. In myview suchprocesswouldhaveledtoinjusticeandunreasonableness. 25 30 ac AsI explained in Kapsos v.TheRepublic
(1988)3C.L.R. 1063whenacivilservantispromotedtoapostandsubsequently byanewdecisionhispromotionismadewithretrospective effect suchdecision isof atwo-fold nature.Theoneaffirming hisalreadyexecutedpromotionandtheothergivingretrospective effect toit.If such secondpromotionischallenged successfully theresultwouldbetheannulmentoftheretrospectiveness of thepromotion andnotof thepromotion itself which infact tookplace previouslyandwasnotchallenged. In the circumstances of thepresent case I havecome tothe conclusion that theretrospective promotion of the applicant as from1stJanuary, 1981,couldnotbringaboutareductiontohis salaryorachangeofhisincrementaldateinrespectofwhichhe 1665 SavvidesJ. Petrakisv.Republic
(1988)hadavested right. Foralltheabovereasonsthisrecoursesucceedsandthepartof thedecisionoftherespondentconcerningapplicant'ssalaryscale, bywhichhisemolumentswerereducedisherebyannulled. InthecircumstancesImakenoorderforcosts. 5 Subjudicedecisionpartlyannulled. Noorderastocosts. 1666